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Things to do in Vancouver, September 2014

We’re not supposed to tell you this, but September is our favourite month in Vancouver. Kids are back at school, the sun is still shining, and let’s just say that something as simple as walking Vancouver’s lovely seawall is a pleasant stroll as opposed to the elbows-out, blood sport that it becomes during July and August. On this month’s “to do” list, we have one of Vancouver’s biggest festivals, two doses of mid-century modern style, and a new wine event. Bottoms up!

TOP DROP VANCOUVERBringing together trade seminars, a dinner, a grand tasting and more, the two-day Top Drop event focuses on “terroir-focused, hand-crafted wines.” What the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks does that mean? All 24 of the wineries—some local, some international, produce wines that are a true reflection of where they’re from, the values and standards of those that make them, and their vintage. Coles Notes version: no industrial, factory wine here.September 15 & 16, through Top Drop Vancouver

“FROM RATIONING TO RAVISHING” EXHIBITION
An exhibition that combines fashion with our favourite era? Count us in! “From Rationing to Ravishing” features 80 outfits, and looks at how women’s clothing evolved through the 1940s and 1950s. Hint: a lot. Think back to high school history class and you might remember that quite a bit was going on in the world over these years, and while jumpsuits might have been the thing during wartime, they sure didn’t cut it in the wasp-waisted 1950s.September 18, 2014 through March 8, 2015 at Museum of Vancouver

MID-CENTURY MODERN HOUSE TOUR
Moving along, this tour of some of Vancouver’s finest mid-century modern homes will have you snooping around the kitchens, living rooms and gardens in which those ravishing outfits were paraded about. An annual tour offered by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, the day finishes with a wine and cheese reception with UBC Associate Professor Sherry McKay talking about the history of Modernism in Vancouver.September 20th, via Vancouver Heritage Foundation

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
While Vancouver’s festival is not Canada’s biggest, it’s a film festival where normal people, like you and me, actually get to go and see the movies. Still, with 341 films, it’s no slouch, and you might even get to spy a celebrity or two. Each year, the festival offers a number of special thematic series within their offerings, and this year we’re psyched for “Dragons and Tigers: The Cinemas of East Asia” and “Spotlight on France.” And cut!September 25 – October 10, through VIFF